This was the 32nd annual Great American Beer Festival, the largest gathering and competition of its type in the nation. It spans three days of ticketed events and tastings that were attended by more than 49,000 beer enthusiasts.

Wisconsin brewers earned 10 medals in 2012, and the Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company was named brewpub group of the year. This year, Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery received the top brewpub award; with 38 locations, Rock Bottom brewpubs are found mostly in the West and Midwest, including those in Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis and Des Moines.